Horizontal sickle



G. A. WRIGHT HORIZONTAL SICKLE May 15, 1951 5 Sheec's-Sheet 2 Filed Feb.- 2, 1948 4 W 2 Tya.

Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HORIZONTAL SI-CKLE 'Glenn A. Wright, Springfield, Oreg.

Application February 2, 1948, Serial No. 5,695

, 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to power sickles and more particularly to sickles attached to and driven by tractors. I

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved sickle of the kind to be more particularly described hereinafter, having a pair of reciprocating cutting blades so constructed and arranged in relation to a fixed support therefor that the angle of the blades relative to the ground and to the tractor may be selectively varied by an operator for any particular use to which the sickle may be applied.

Another object of this invention is to provide an .improved sickle of this kind in which the power for operating the reciprocating blades may be applied to the support of the blades by a flexible driving member which in turn is connected in the most convenient or desirable manner to the source of power.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a sickle of this kind which is designed and arranged as an attachment which may be readily applied to or removed from the tractor with the least amount of time and labor.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away and partly in section, of a double horizontal sickle constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation, partly broken away and partly in section,

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l, V

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4--4 of Figurel,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4, r

Figure6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail section taken on the line L-l of Figure 1,

Figure 8 is a top plan view, partly broken away and partly in section, of the yoke removed from the assembly,

Figure 9 is a front elevation of the cover of the blade actuating means removed from the assembly,

Figure 10 is a side elevation, partly broken Referring to the drawings, the numeral Ill designates generally a double horizontal sickle which is adapted to be attached to and powered by a tractor. The sickle i9 is an improvement over the conventional type of sickles which are carried by. tractors, and extend outwardly therefrom for cutting grain, grass, or other growing vegetation. While some of the sickles currently in use are provided with a limited means of adjustment whereby the sickle may be disposed horizontally relative to the tractor and relative to the earth over which it is used, none of the conventional type of sickles are provided with a means for actuating the sliding cutting blades while the sickle itself is disposed at such an inclination to the nomal horizontal position.

Usually this raising of the outer end of the sickle is provided merely for the ready transportation of the vehicle and sickle from one place of operation to another. With a structure of the kind to be more specifically described hereinafter, the sickle In of this invention may be disposed horizontally or vertically, or at any angle therebetween relative to the tractor and earth, and. the cutting blades on the sickle may be operated in the selected disposition of the sickle.

The sickle I0 is formed with an inner shoe member H which is adapted to be secured to the tractor and on which is supported an elongated outwardly extending blade supporting arm I2. The shoe l l is substantially flat and provided with a slightly upwardly inclined toe or front edge M. The upwardly inclined front end I4 of the shoe II will form a sort of sled whereby the shoe may be disposed substantially in engagement with the ground .and will slide freely thereover.

The outwardly extending arm or blade sup porting rod i2 is suitably fixed to or formed on the shoe I I and extends outwardly from one side thereof. A pair of reciprocating cutting blades l5 and I5 are carried by the supporting member l2 at the front edge thereof. Both of the blades l5 and I5 are adapted to be reciprocated relative to the supporting arm i 2 and are disposed in overlying relation. Each of the blades l5 and i6 is provided at its inner or rear end with an elongated guide arm or rod ll and i8 respectively. The guide arms H and E8 are adapted to be secured to the rear edge of the blades l5'and i6 respectively by rivets l9 or other suitable attaching means.

' The blades I5 and I6 are supported on the member I2 by suitable brackets 20 and 2|. The bracket 20 is provided with a forwardly extend-'- ing arm 22 which is adapted to overlie the bar I! of the upper blade [5. A depending lug 24 extends downwardly from the front or outer end of the arm 22 for engagement with the forward edge of the bar H. The lower bracket 2| is formed substantially the same as the upper bracket 20, being completely inverted. The blades l5 and [6 are then slidably supported between the brackets and 2E fixedly carried by the supporting member l2.

For attaching the brackets 20 and 2| to the member l2 each of the brackets is provided with an outwardly extending ear as 25, on the opposite sides of the central supporting arm 22 thereof. Bolts as 26 or other suitable attaching means are provided for securing the brackets '26 and 2| to the supporting arm E2. The cutting blades 15 and 16 are adapted to be reciprocated on the supporting arm [2 in opposite directions. For actuating the blades l5 and [6 suitable operating meansis provided on the shoe I l.

A shaft :as 121 is rotatably supported on the shoe I! between a pair of end bearings 28 and 12:9. The bearings .28 and'29 are supported .on the shoe H by supporting brackets 36 and 31.. Each of the brackets 30 and .3! .is formed of a pair of upwardly extending spaced apart plates 32. An L -;shaped member 34 is fixed on the upper side of the shoe II below .each end of the shaft 25!. The upwardly extending arms 32 are .disposed on :opposite sides of the upper or vertical ieg of the :attaching members 34. The bearings .28 :and '29 are then supported between each pair :of upwardly extending arms 32,.

.A pair of oppositely disposed earns 35 and 36 are fixed to .or otherwise secured on the shaft 27 between the bearings 28 and 23 for rotation with the shaft. A sleeve or cam follower 38 is disposed about the cam .35 and supported thereon by .a bearing 39. An outwardly extending arm :40 "is fixed to or formed on the cam follower or sleeve .38 and extends in .a direction substantially paralled to the supporting member 12. A pitman :as 4.! .is connected between the outer end of the arm =46 and a journal or bearing 42 carried by the inner end of the upper blade l5. A sleeve or cam follower 44 is disposed about the cam 36 and supported thereon by a bearing 45.

An outwardly extending arm 46 carried by the follower 44 is connected by a pitman 41 to a bearing or journal 43 fixed to or otherwise carried by the lower cutter blade l6. As the cams 35 and 36 are disposed on the shaft 21 in opposite relation to each other, rotation of the shaft 21 will effect reciprocating movement of the cutter blades [5 and i6 in an opposite direction on the blade supporting member l2.

A pulley 49 is fixed on the rear end of the shaft .2] and is provided for engagement with a belt or other flexable member which in turn .may be connected to the power take-off of the tractor. It is .not necessary with this arrangement then that the sickle E 0 be disposed in any particular relation to the power take-off of the tractor .as the difference in relation of the power take-off and the sickle to any definite point on the tractor may be compensated by the suitable connection of the flexible member between the power takeoff and the pulley 49.

For supporting the sickle l0 rockably on the tractor, I have provided a pivot connection between the shaft 21 and a support as 50 :carried by the tractor. The support .56 is adapted to be fastened .or connected on a part of the tractor as the chassis or frame 5| thereof. The support 50 is preferably made of a tube 52, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. A yoke member 54 provides the connection between the shaft 21 and the tube 52. The yoke 54 comprises a pair of horizontally spaced apart outwardly extending arms 55 and 56, connected together by a bight member 53. Each of the arms 55 and 56 is provided with an aligned opening 5! in which the shaft 21 is rotatably engaged. The arms 55 and 56 are disposed about the shaft 2.1 and the bearings 28 and 29 between the shaft supporting members 30 and 3|.

The arms 55 and 56 are substantially the same thickness as the thickness of the vertical leg of the attaching brackets 34 and the arms 55 and '56 are disposed between pairs of supporting plates 32. A central bearing or stud 58 is fixed to or formed on the yoke 54 rearwardly of the arms 55 and 56 on the bight 53. The stud or lug 58 is adapted to be received within the open end of the tube .52 where it may be secured by :a set screw 5.9 carried by the lower end of .the tube 52. With this arrangement the connection between the sickle and the tractor, the entire sickle .16 may be removed by sliding the stud 5&1 from the support 50 upon removing the flexible member between the pulley 49 and the power take-off.

.As described to this point, the sickle I6 is loosely carried by the tractor, being freely rock- 'abie about the shaft 21.. For securing the sickle ID in a selected angular adjusted position relative to the tractor, I have provided an angular 'ad- Justing .means :60 carried partly by the sickle l0 and partly by the yoke member 154. An upwardly extending U-shaped channel member 61 is fixed on the shoe Ii. The upper end of the channel member 6| is arcuate and bent over the shoe :1] ma direction opposite from the direction in which the member I2 extends. The upper 'arcuate end 62 of the member 61 is directed toward the tractor.

An elongated member 64 is fixed to or carried by the yoke member '54 for engagement with the supporting member 60 carried by the shoe II. The member 64 is normally of an arcuate configuration as seen in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, and when in use the member 64 will support the entire weight of the sickle l6 and may be slightly flattened between this attachment to the member 60 and the yoke 54. The elongated member '64 is fixed at one end to the end of the bight portion by rivets 65 or other suitable fastening means. The channel member 62 which is carried 'by the shoe H is U-shaped in configuration and the bight 66 thereof is formed with a plurality of openings 61 therethrough.

'The openings 61 are mostly disposed in the upper arcuate end of the member -62. The free outer end of the arm '64 is provided with an opening 68 and a bolt 69 is adapted to be engaged through the opening 68 and a selected one of the openings 67 for supporting the sickle E0 in a fixed or determined angular relation relative to the tractor.

As the crankshaft 21 and the cams 35 and 36 are disposed substantially in the open, it is desirable to provide a cover therefor to exclude foreign material from obstructing the normal operation. With this in mind a cover or shield 56 is provided for attachment at its lower end to the upper edge of the shoe H. The cover 16 is adapted to extend about the outer side of the shoe II at its forward end. A bumper as ll is provided which extends rearwardly from the front end of the shoe ii in spaced relation to the side edge thereof.

In the use and operation of this adjustable sickle is, the yoke 56 is initially engaged in the about the shaft 27 as a pivot. When the desired angular position is obtained, the bolt 69 is engaged through the opening 63 and the nearest registering opening 61 for securing the sickle in this adjusted position. The adjustment may vary from a perfectly horizontal position at least ninety degrees to a vertical position. The reciprocating cutting blades and It will be operated from the cams 35 and 36 on the shaft 21 in any and all positions of the sickle.

The sickle does not necessarily have to be mounted as an attachment on a tractor and need not necessarily be operated from a power takeoff from the engine of a tractor. As very little power is required to operate the reciprocating blades, they can be driven by a power obtained from a wheel or wheels of a towed carriage, or horse drawn mower, which contains no power plant.

enabling the device to be mounted on a garden tractor or other like frame, and making it possible to manufacture the device in the form of a hand tool.

The sickle can be disposed in a plane below the horizontal as well as above when desired, for working from the top of a terrace or road shoulder in highway mowing.

Guard fingers found on conventional mowers deflect and ride over the material to be out before the material could be engaged by the cutting teeth. In this mower, guard fingers are not required on the supporting bar. The sickle supported in the manner described will permit the cutting of wet crops in a manner heretofore impossible with the use of such forwardly projecting guard fingers.

In Figure 10 there is shown a modified support for the sickle It], by which the sickle assembly as a unit may be pivotally adjusted relative to the V tractor about the support therefor.

, in relation to the longitudinal axis of the yoke in order to support the sickle below the tractor frame in closer relation.

For adjusting the .bar 82 about the pivot point 8!, a segmental arcuate rack Bl is fixedly carried by the frame 5!, being secured thereon by a bracket 88. An L-shaped lever 89 is pivoted at its lower end on a pin 90 carried below the rack 81. A pawl 92 is carried by the vertical arm Si of the lever 89 for engagement with the rack 81 to secure the lever in selected adjusted position.

The lower substantially horizontal arm 92 eX- tends outwardly' from the pivot point do. An eye 94 is fixed on the inner end of the bar 82 and a link 35 pivotally engages in the eye 9% and outer end of the arm 92 so that rocking of the lever 89 will efiect raising or lowering of the sickle supporting bar 82 about the pivot 3i and the consequent raising and lowering of the sickle it.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. Means for adjusting the angular position of a driven reciprocating cutter blade having a drive shaft, a supporting bar, and a mounting for said bar without affecting the operation of the cutter comprising: an arcuate channel member substantially coaxial with and overlying said drive shaft aifixed to said supporting bar and having a plu-.

rality of apertures therein, an elongated arcuate rod overlying said drive shaft in substantially coaxial relation having an aperture adjacent the,

extremity thereof and coacting with said channel 'member affixed to said mounting and bolt means passing through said last mentioned aperture and a selected one of said first mentioned apertures for varying the relative angular position of said supporting bar, and hence said cutter bar, and said mounting.

2. The construction of claim 1 wherein said supporting bar is pivotally mounted on said drive shaft and solely supported thereby.

3. The construction of claim 2 wherein the mounting is pivotally connected to a movable source of power for further angular adjustment thereof, and means including a bellcrank lever having one end linked to said mounting for normally effecting said last mentioned angular adjustment.

GLENN A. WRIGHT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,806,480 Manko May 19, 1931 2,232,823 Lull Feb. 25, 1941 

